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Old 02-20-2007, 06:23 PM
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Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
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Lightbulb Books on Violin Family Instruments etc.

Ok now, Bob Branstetter opened up this subject in the Shop Bass section and we have discussed the problem on line and by PM where to put this Thread. I think right here in 'General Bass Talk' is the best place so as not to corner one school or period of making. I have bought several Books since I was in High School and my collection has grown quite large. After acquiring my first of 4 old English Basses I started hunting for Books that were English makers specifically. I learned a ton of knowledge that before reading some of these books, I had no idea just how big this school of makers was. I also dived deep in the the American Bass makers school first after buying my Batchelder and more so when I got my Prescott. Although there are some books that include all Schools of making, there are many that are focused on just one country. No book has it all and even with dozens of books published, some makers have gone totally unnoticed by all of them.

I will now attempt to list my collection of books by wither general or school. I will answer questions about them as I can but I am looking for others to add to the list as I don't have them all. *Some of the Books listed are 100 years old or more or originally written in the 19th century and recently been re-published.*
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General Schools;
The Violin/Le Violon (Hart)*
Violin and its Music (Hart)*
History of the Violin (Sandys & Forster)*
A New History of the Double Bass (Brun)
The Red Book 2006 Guide Auctions Str. Inst./Bows (Cohen)
Universal Dictionary of Violin/Bow Makers (Henley)
Violin Makers (C.Stainer)*
The Baroque Double Bass (Planyavsky)
Introduction to the Double Bass (Elgar)
More About the Double Bass (Elgar)
Looking at the Double Bass (Elgar)
Amadeus Book of the Violin (Kolneder)
Four Centuries or Violin Makers (Sotheby's) (mainly Italian makers)
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Italian School;
Gio: Paolo Maggini (Hill)
Liuteri & Sonadori (Pio)
Dict. of 20th Cent. Italian Violin Makers (Brinsler)
Italian Violin Makers (Jalovec)
Antonio Stradivari, His Life & Work (Hills)
Italian Violin Makers (Hamma)
Cremonese Double Basses (Rosengard)
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English/British;
Edward Withers/230 Years in Soho (Whone)
Violin Family and Makers in the British Isles (Harvey)
Dictionary of British Violin/Bow Makers (Plowright)
Benjamin Banks the Salisbury Vln Mkr (Cooper)
Arthur Bultitude and the Hill Tradition (Sadler)
British Violin Makers (Morris)*
The British Violin (BVMA)
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American School:
Violin Makers of the U.S. (Wenberg)
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Chinese School;
Guidebook of Chinese Violin/Bow Makers (Bocca Chiusa co.)
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NOTE: As more Violin/Bass Books are mentioned, I will add them to the list. Just PM Me.

Last edited by Ken Smith; 11-09-2008 at 12:46 AM. Reason: Just got the Rosengard Cremona makers..
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Old 11-08-2008, 03:13 PM
Martin Sheridan Martin Sheridan is offline
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Default I wish

Ken,
I'm a bit envious of your collection. I gave mine away when I moved to Mexico. Now that I'm looking at moving back I may start my collection all over again. I had been collecting books since the mid 70s and had many first editions.

There is really a need (if not a market) for books on bass makers. Duane Rosengard did all of us a great service with his book on the Cremona makers and I wish that he or someone else would do one on the Italian school, and then follow with others on the other schools. Elgar's books are interesting but I've never met anyone who thought that his attributions were solid. I'm not sure we have a true bass expert anywhere. Maybe you are becoming the one!
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Old 11-09-2008, 12:52 AM
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Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Sheridan View Post
Ken,
I'm a bit envious of your collection. I gave mine away when I moved to Mexico. Now that I'm looking at moving back I may start my collection all over again. I had been collecting books since the mid 70s and had many first editions.

There is really a need (if not a market) for books on bass makers. Duane Rosengard did all of us a great service with his book on the Cremona makers and I wish that he or someone else would do one on the Italian school, and then follow with others on the other schools. Elgar's books are interesting but I've never met anyone who thought that his attributions were solid. I'm not sure we have a true bass expert anywhere. Maybe you are becoming the one!
I just picked up a copy of the Rosengard Book. I was at Biase's in NYC and we were looking at something in it. Then he mentions later that the outer sleeve was still out and asked, "Did I put the book away already?". I said yes and in the sleeve.. He looks in the cabinet and pulls out another book! He had two! I asked if I could but it and I came home with another rare limited edition and out of print book to add to the collection.

This Book is not that big but does tell a great story about the schools or Northern Italy and confirms that the Double Bass as we know it was born in Italy. I have only skimmed thru it but I will do a cover-to-cover as soon as I get a free day or two. At first I was worried because it's all in Italian, the text I mean. Then I saw the English text and felt a sigh of relief.
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Old 11-13-2008, 01:28 PM
Martin Sheridan Martin Sheridan is offline
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Default The ones I kept

These are the books I brought to Mexico with me:

Violin Restoration, Weishaar and Shipman

Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu, Carlo Chiesa et al

Useful Measurements for Violin Makers, Strobel

Cremonese Double Basses, Duane Rosengard

Last edited by Martin Sheridan; 11-15-2008 at 01:08 PM.
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Old 02-23-2010, 06:37 PM
Martin Sheridan Martin Sheridan is offline
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Default Vuillaume

We should also add to the list Roger Millant's biography of J B Vuillaume.
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